Petunia plant named &#39;Kakegawa S84&#39;

ABSTRACT

A  petunia  cultivar particularly distinguished by pink flowers with a red inner corolla throat and a mounding growth habit is disclosed.

GENUS AND SPECIES

Petunia hybrida

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Kakegawa S84’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of petunia,botanically known as Petunia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by thecultivar name ‘Kakegawa S84’. ‘Kakegawa S84’ originated from a sport of‘SAIPET93’ in Salinas, Calif. in 2003. ‘SAIPET93’ originated from ahybridization between ‘001-93’, a proprietary petunia plant with mediumflower size and pink flower color, and ‘002-93’, a proprietary petuniaplant with magenta flowers and a creeping growth habit.

F₁ and F₂ generations resulting from the hybridization were grown.Segregation in the F2 generation resulted in plants that had either pinkor magenta flower color, medium or small flower size, and either acreeping, mounding, or cascading growth habit. An F3 generation wasproduced. From the F3 generation, plants were selected that exhibited apink flower color and creeping growth habit. The selections were thensubjected to several rounds of sexual propagation for the purpose offixing the desirable traits through successive generations of sexualreproduction. The F10 generation resulted in a sexually reproducedpetunia with pink flower color and a creeping growth habit named‘004-93’.

A second hybridization was performed using ‘004-93’ as the male parentand another proprietary petunia plant with a medium flower size and alight pink flower color named ‘003-93’ as the female parent. Theresulting F₁ hybrid had a medium flower size and a light pink flowercolor. The hybrid was named ‘SAIPET93’.

In 2003, a sport of ‘SAIPET93’ was noticed in Salinas, Calif. The sporthad a pink with red inner corolla throat and tube. The sport wasmaintained by way of shoot-tip cuttings in Salinas, Calif. and wasobserved to have its distinct characteristics remain stable throughsuccessive generations of asexual reproduction. The sport was then named‘Kakegawa S84’. ‘Kakegawa S84’ has been found to retain its distinctivecharacteristics after three years and five cycles of vegetativepropagation.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Canada onApr. 19, 2005.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS

This new petunia plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographswhich show blooms and foliage of the plant in full color, the colorsshown being as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventionalphotographic procedures.

FIG. 1 shows the overall plant habit, including blooms, buds andfoliage.

FIG. 2 shows the mature flower.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘Kakegawa S84’. The data which defines thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inSalinas, Calif. Data was collected on plants in 6 inch pots four monthsafter rooted cuttings were transplanted. Plants were pinched once duringgrowth. Color references are primarily to the R.H.S. Colour Chart of TheRoyal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.) (4^(th) ed). Anatomiclabels are from The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms,by M. Hickey and C. King, Cambridge University Press.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Solanaceae.        -   Botanical.—Petunia hybrida.        -   Common name.—Petunia.-   Parentage: Sport of ‘SAIPET93’-   Growth: The terminal 1.0 to 1.5 inches of an actively growing stem    was excised. The vegetative cuttings were propagated in five to six    weeks. The base of the cuttings were dipped for 1 to 2 seconds in a    1:9 solution of DIP 'N GROW (1 solution: 9 water) root inducing    solution immediately prior to sticking into the cell trays. Cuttings    were stuck into plastic cell trays having 98 cells, and containing a    moistened peat moss-based growing medium. The cuttings were misted    with water from overhead for 10 seconds every 30 minutes until    sufficient roots were formed. Plants were propagated from vegetative    cuttings, and grown individually in 20 cm diameter plastic pots in a    glass greenhouse located in Salinas, Calif. Pots contained a peat    moss-based growing medium. Soluble fertilizer containing 20%    nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 20% potassium was applied once a day or    every other day by overhead irrigations. Pots were top-dressed with    a dry, slow release fertilizer containing 20% nitrogen, 10%    phosphorus and 18% potassium. The typical average air temperature    was 24° C.-   Plant description:    -   -   Life cycle.—Annual/tender perennial in warm climates.        -   Habit.—Semi-decumbent (mounding); freely branching.        -   Height.—34.0 cm.        -   Spread.—61.0 cm.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About 4 weeks.        -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—6-8 weeks.        -   Flowering requirements.—Will flower as long as the            temperature is above 13° C. and there is greater than 12            hours of daylight.-   Branches:    -   -   Number of branches.—About 12 basal branches; many secondary            branches.        -   Length of branches.—25.0 cm to 30.0 cm.        -   Diameter of branches.—0.2 cm to 0.3 cm.

Stems:

-   -   -   Description.—Pliable; circular cross-section.        -   Color.—R.H.S. 144B (yellow-green).        -   Diameter.—0.6 cm.        -   Stem length.—1.0 cm from soil line to first node.        -   Internode length.—0.6 cm at the bottom of the plant and 2.1            cm at the top of the plant.        -   Anthocyanin.—Absent.        -   Texture.—: Heavily pubescent.        -   Pubescence color.—R.H.S. N155A (white).

-   Leaves:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, decussate.        -   Attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Color.—Upper surface: R.H.S. 146B (yellow-green) Lower            surface: R.H.S. 143A (green).        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Size.—Length: 2.5 cm to 3.0 cm Width: 1.4 cm to 1.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptical.        -   Texture.—Dull, heavily pubescent.        -   Surface pubescence color.—R.H.S. N155A (white).        -   Variegation.—Absent.        -   Venation.—Type: Pinnate Color: Upper surface: R.H.S. 145B            (yellow-green) Lower surface: R.H.S. 145B (yellow-green).        -   Fragrance.—Weak.        -   Petiole.—Length: 0.5 cm Diameter: 0.2 cm Color: R.H.S. 145B            (yellow-green).

-   Flower buds:    -   -   Color.—R.H.S. 151C (yellow-green).        -   Shape.—Cylindrical.        -   Surface.—Dull; pubescent        -   Length.—1.5 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.4 cm.

-   Flowers:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Single flower.        -   Fragrance.—Absent.        -   Flower number (per node).—One.        -   Peduncle.—Color: R.H.S. 144B (yellow-green) Length: 1.5 cm            to 3.0 cm Diameter: 4.5 cm to 5.0 cm.

-   Calyx (sepals):    -   -   Form.—5, free.        -   Attachment.—Decurrent.        -   Length.—1.5 cm to 2.0 cm.        -   Width.—0.2 cm.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Cuneate.        -   Margin.—Enitre.        -   Sepal color.—Upper surface: Closest to R.H.S. 139B (green)            Lower surface: R.H.S. 144B (yellow-green).

-   Corolla:    -   -   Shape.—Funnel-shaped with five fused petals.        -   Diameter.—4.4 cm to 6.0 cm.        -   Depth.—3.9 cm to 4.5 cm.        -   Tube diameter.—0.7 cm to 0.9 cm.        -   Tube length.—1.8 cm to 2.3 cm.

-   Petals:    -   -   Shape.—Obcordate.        -   Size.—Length: 2.5 cm to 2.6 cm Width: 2.0 cm to 3.0 cm.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Color of lobes.—Upper surface: R.H.S. 73B (red-purple).            Lower surface: R.H.S. N155A (white).        -   Color of tube.—Inner surface: R.H.S. N155A (white) Outer            surface: R.H.S. N155A (white) with R.H.S. N144A            (yellow-green) veins Throat: R.H.S. N74B (red-purple).        -   Petal texture.—Glabrous.

-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—Quantity: 5 Form: Didynamous Filament color: R.H.S.            N155A (white). Anther color: R.H.S. 161 D (grayed-yellow).        -   Pollen.—Amount: Abundant Description: Powdery Color: R.H.S.            161 D (grayed-yellow).        -   Ovary.—Superior.        -   Pistil number.—One.        -   Style color.—R.H.S. 143B (green).        -   Stigma color.—R.H.S. 143A (green).        -   Seed.—None observed.

-   Disease and insect resistance: No particular resistance or    susceptibility to diseases or insects noted to date.

COMPARISON WITH KNOWN CULTIVARS

‘Kakegawa S84’ differs from petunia plant ‘003-93’ (unpatented), afemale ancestor of ‘Kakegawa S84’, in that ‘Kakegawa S84’ has a pinkflower with a red corolla throat, while ‘003-93’ has a light pinkflower.

‘Kakegawa S84’ differs from petunia plant ‘004-93’ (unpatented), a maleancestor of ‘Kakegawa S84’, in that ‘Kakegawa S84’ has a pink flowerwith a red corolla throat, while ‘004-93’ has a pink flower.Additionally, ‘Kakegawa S84’ has a mounding growth habit while ‘004-93’has a creeping growth habit.

‘Kakegawa S84’ is a new and distinct variety of petunia owing to itspink with red inner corolla tube flower color. ‘Kakegawa S84’ is similarto ‘SAIPET93’ (unpatented), however there are numerous differences aslisted in the table below: TABLE 1 Comparison of Characteristics between‘Kakegawa S84’ and ‘SAIPET93‘ Characteristic ‘Kakegawa S84’ ‘SAIPET93’Flower color Pink with red inner corolla Pink throat Propagation methodShoot-tip cuttings (asexual) Seed (sexual)

1. A new and distinct cultivar of petunia plant named ‘Kakegawa S84’ asdescribed and shown herein.